Length-cutting machine for knit goods.



1. c. s'con. LENGTH CUTTING MACHINE FOR KNIT GOODS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2|. 191 7.

1,278,230. PatentedSept. 10, 1918.

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I. C. SCOTT. LENGTH cumms MACHINE FOR KNIT GOODS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21. I917.

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i to improve generally and to enhance the- JAMES C. SCOTT, OF ADRIAN, MICHIGAN.

LENGTH-CUTTING MACHINE FOR KNIT GOODS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 10, 1918.

Application filed September 21, 1917. Serial No. 192,578.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES C. Soo'r'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Adrian, in the county of Lenawee and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Length- Cutting Machine for Knit Goods, of which the following is a specification.

- The device forming the subject matter of this application is adapted to be employed for cutting material of any kind into lengths, the structure being of peculiar utility in cutting knit goods.

By way of explanation, it may be stated that the cutter usually measures the first length of the goods, and cuts the other lengths thereto, laying one end of the material on an underlying length and then severing the end of the material to form another length, a pile being formed in this way. W hen the material is cut with a pair of shears, the cut is rarely straight, and it is impossible to fashion the pile properly. As a consequence of the procedure above mentioned, a considerable quantity of material is wasted, by irregular cuts, and much time is lost in handling the shears.

In view of the foregoing, one object of the invention is to provide novel lever mechanism whereby the length may be severed at a single stroke.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means for automatically raising the cutting mechanism, as each lengthls severed, whereby the cutting mechanism Will always operate at the top of the-pile, means being provided whereby, when the pile has been built up to the desired height, the cutting mechanism may be run down rapidly by hand to permit the starting of a new pile.

' It is within the province of the disclosure utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

lVith the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combina tion and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shows in side elevatlon, a machine embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the cutting mechanism; and

Fig. 3 is a top plan of the cutting mechanism, a portion of the supporting table being shown.

In carrying out the present invention there is provided a support 1 which may be a table, the same having a slot 2 in which is mounted a post or standard 3 sustained from the table 1 by means of an upper bracket 4 and a lower bracket 5. Attached by securing elements 7 to one edge of the post or standard 3 is an undercut guide strip 6 having a rack 8 on its outer edge. Mounted on the post 3 is a guide strip 9 having slots 10 receiving securing elements 11 entering the post 3, the construction being such that the guide strip 9 may be adjusted toward and away from the guide strip 6 to take up wear.

The numeral 12 denotes a vertically moving slide, provided upon its rear face with a rib 14 received between the undercut guide strips 6 and 9. Applied to the outer face of the slide 12 is a plate 15 held to the slide by attaching elements 16. The plate 15 has an outstanding bearing 17 carrying an upstanding arm 18 connected with a horizontal tubular bearing 19. A bracket 20 pro jects from the plate 15. A shaft 21 is journaled in the tubular bearing 19 and is supplied at one end with a hand wheel 22. The ends of a worm 23 are j ournaled in the bearing 17 and in the bearing 19, the worm meshing into the rack 8. Fixed to the upper end of the worm 23 is a beveled pinion 24 meshing into a beveled pinion 25 constituting a part of ratchet wheel 26 secured to the shaft 21. I

An arm 27 is secured as shown at 28 to the lower end of the slide 12 and is disposed at right angles to the slide and to the standard or post 3. Mounted on the arm 27 is a fixed blade 29. The arm 27 has vertical slots 30 in which are mounted clamp screws 31 threaded into the blade 29, the construction being such that the blade 29 can be adjusted vertically.

The numeral 33 denotes a vertically swinging cutting lever. A blade 34 is attached to the lever 33 and cooperates with the fixed blade 29. The lever 33 has transverse slots 35 receiving securing elements 36 engaging the blade 34, the construction being such that the blade may be adjusted transversely of the lever 33. A stud 32 projects from the slide 12 and on this stud, the lever 33 is ful- 3O ing a vertically movable pawl 56, the workcruined for vertical swinging movement. A washer 37 surrounds the stud 32 and bears against the outer face of the lever 33, the washer having a neck 38 on which slides a cap 39, the cap being threaded on the stud 32, beyond the outerend of the neck 38 of the washer 37. A compression spring 40, located within the cap 39, bears at one end against the neck 38 of the washer 37, and bears at its other end against the outer'end of the cap. .14 clamp nut 134 is threaded onto the stud32 and bears against the outer end of the cap 39.

Extended longitudinally of the lever 33 and, attached thereto is a guide 42 having a slot43 disposed longitudinally of the lever. A clamp screw 44 is mounted to move for adjustment in the slot 43 of the guide 42 and retains upon the guide, and therefore upon the lever 33, an arm 45 carrying at its upper end a stud 46 adjustable in a slot 47 formed in the enlarged lower end of a link 48 pivoted at 49 to a lever 50 fulcrumed intermediate its ends a-sshown at 51, upon the plate 15. The lower end of the lever 50 is pivoted to a link 52, which in its, turn is pivoted to the lower end of a lever 53 fulcrumed intermediate its ends, as shown at 54, on the plate 15 The upper end of the lever 53 carries a pivot element 55 supporting end of which coacts with the ratchet wheel 26. Assembled with a pivot element- 55 and with the lever 53 is a spring 57 which, bearing on the pawl 56, constrains thepawl to coact with the ratchet wheel 26.

Carried by the table 1 are standards 60 having verticalslots 61 receiving the trunnions 62 ofa roller 63, in order to permit the roller to rise as the stack of material increases in height. Standards 64 are erected on the table 1 and carry a rod or shaft 65 on which the roll of fabric to be cut is mounted.

In practical operation, the cloth on the shaft 6511s drawn by hand beneath the roller 63, the latter holding down the cloth. Thence,-the cloth is drawn by hand between the fixed blade 29 and the blade 34 on the lever 33, the free end of the cloth coacting with that portion of the table which is denoted by the reference numeral 66 in Fig. 1. The lever 33 is then swung downwardly on the fulcrumstud 32, and the blade 34 on the ratchet wheel 26. When the ratchet wheel 26 is rotated, the beveled pinion 25, meshing into the beveled pinion 24, rotates the worm 23, and because the worm 23 is engaged with the rack 8, the slide 12, and the entire cutting mechanism, including the lever 33 and the fixed blade 29 is raised a distance represented by the thickness of the cloth or other material which has been cut. When the lever 33 is swung downwardly, parts 45 and 48 and the levers 50 and 53 retract the pawl 56 for engagement with the next notch ofthe ratchet wheel 26, so that when the lever 33 is swung upwardly again, the cut: ting mechanism may be raised another step.

The clamp screw 44'is adjusted in the slot 43 of the guide 42 to vary the throw of the .lever '33. I

The stud 46 preferably is in the form of a clamp screw and serves to fasten the arm 45 and the link 48 together. The adjustment thus obtained is desirable in order to keep the pawl 56 in thesame relative position to the ratchet wheel 26 when the element 56, on which the parts 45-48 swing,

out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 26, and then the entire cutting mechanism may be moved downwardly by rotating the shaft 21 through the medium ofthe hand Wheel 22, a comparativelyrapid rotation being imparted to the worm 23 by means of the intermeshing beveled pinions 25 and The cap 39 on the fulcrum stud 32- may be advanced and held by the nut 134 thereby compressing the spring 40, the latter bearing againstthe neck 38 of the washer 37 and v advancing the washer 37 against the lever '33, it being possible, in this way, to maintain at all times, aiproper shearing contact between the blade 34 which moves with the lever 33, and the relatively fixed blade29 onthe arm 27.

Having thus described the invention, what is 'claimed-is: l p

1. In a device of the class described, a supporting structure; a slide movable vertically on the supporting structure; a shearing mechanism carried by the slide and including a movable cutting member; and mechanism operated by the movable cutting member for raising the slide when the. mov able cutting meinber'is actuated. v I

2. In a device of he class described, a

supporting structure; a slide movable vertically on the supporting structure; a shearing mechanism carried by the slide and in cluding a movable cutting member; and mechanism operated by the movable cutting member and coacting with the supporting structure, for raising the slide when the movable cutting member is actuated.

3. In a device of the class described, a supporting structure; a slide movable vertically on the supporting structure; a shearing mechanism carried by the slide and including a movable cutting member; and a step by step mechanism operable by the movable cutting member for raising the slide when the movable cutting member is actuated.

at. In a device of the class described, a supporting structure; a slide movable vertically on the supporting structure; a shearing mechanism carried by the slide and ineluding a movable cutting member; and a step by step mechanism operable by the movable cutting member and coacting with the supporting structure to raise the slide when the movable cutting member is actuated.

5. In a device of the class described, a supporting structure including a rack; a slide movable vertically on the supporting structure; a. worm journaled on the slide and meshing into the rack; a ratchet wheel journaled on the slide; an operative connection between the ratchet wheel and the worm; a shearing mechanism carried by the slide and including a. movable cutting member; and an operative connection between the movable cutting member and the ratchet wheel, said connection including a pawl coacting with the ratchet wheel.

6. In a device of the class described, a supporting structure including rack; a slide movable vertically on the supporting structure and including upper and lower bearings; a worm journaled in the upper and lower bearings and meshing into the rack; a shaft journaled in the upper bearing; means assembled with the shaft and under the control of an operator for rotating the shaft; a ratchet wheel carried by the shaft; intermeshing beveled pinions movable respectively with the shaft and with the worm and constituting means for imparting rotation to the worm from the shaft; a shearing mechanism carried by the slide and including a movable cutting member; and an operative connection between the movable cutting member and the ratchet wheel, said connection including a pawl engaging the ratchet wheel.

7. In a device of the class described, a supporting structure; a slide mounted to move vertically on the supporting structure;

a-fixed blade carried by the slide; a cutting lever mounted to swing on the slide and coacting with the fixed blade; and mechanism operatively connected with the cutting lever for raising the slide when the cutting lever is actuated.

8. In a device of the class described, a supporting structure including a rack; a slide movable vertically on the supporting structure; a rotary element journaled on the slide and meshing into the rack; a shearing mechanism carried by the slide and including a fixed blade and a movable cutting lever fulcrumed on the slide and coacting with the fixed blade; and an operative connection between the cutting lever and the rotatable member, whereby the latter will be actuated, when the lever is actuated, to effect a raising of the slide.

9. In device of the class described, a supporting structure including a rack; a slide movable vertically on the supporting structure; a rotatable element carried by the slide and meshing into the rack; means carried by the slide for operating the rotatable member said means including a ratchet wheel; a lever mechanism fulcrumed on the slide; a pawl connected with the lever mechanism and coacting with the ratchet wheel; an arm; a shearing mechanism carried by the slide and including a swinging cutting lever; means for securing the arm to the lever in adjusted positions longitudinally of the lever; a link connected with the lever mechanism; and an adjustable connection between the link and the arm.

10. In a device of the class described, a supporting structure including a rack; a slide movable vertically on the supporting structure; a rotatable element journaled on the slide and meshing into the rack; an operating mechanism for the rotatable memher, the operating mechanism being carried by the slide, and including a ratchet wheel; a pair of approximately parallel levers .fulcrumed intermediate their ends on the slide; means for connecting the levers at their lower ends; a pawl pivoted to the upper end of one lever and coacting with the ratchet wheel; a link pivoted to the upper end of the other lever; a shearing mechanism carried by the slide and including a cutting lever; and means for connecting the link with the cutting lever at adjusted points longitudinally of the cutting lever.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afliXed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES C. SCOTT.

Witnesses:

MILTON LEE KNIGHT, LADD Lnwrs, Jr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for are cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

